Pizza crust revisited

The pizza crust that gets thrown back into the box, that’s been me. I’d rather save myself 300 calories per crust and be thought rude than to eat something I don’t like. Not eating the crust means I can have two pieces, and that’s being more rude and further starving foreign children, but I usually save the crust for my dog. Yes, that means wrapping it up in a napkin and taking it home. But first I leave it in the box or plate for a while, just to see if a scavenger will eat it. You never know.

Not anymore. I don’t know where I first heard about cauliflower crust for pizza, but I’ve tried it and I can’t tell I’m eating the vegetable. It definitely tastes like a carby meal, but I don’t feel lethargic afterward. With toppings, I can get a few veggies in one meal, so this is a keeper — and it’s good! I can’t wait to try it with quiche.

Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients

½ head cauliflower

(about 3 cups riced)

1 cup shredded

mozzarella cheese

or hard parmesan

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon oregano

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400º F.

Spray cookie sheet or pizza stone.

Add cauliflower florets to food processor and pulse until it looks like chopped up rice.

Sauté cauliflower “rice” in a non-stick skillet, UNCOVERED, over medium heat and cook until translucent, approximately six to eight minutes.

In a bowl, combine the cooked cauliflower with all remaining ingredients.

Spread out dough evenly. The pizza should be about 9-10 inches in diameter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden, crispy on the edges.

Remove the crust from the oven.

Top with pizza sauce and toppings.

Broil the pizza for five minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted.

You can top the pizza with whatever you like, just make sure the toppings are already cooked since you’ll be broiling the pizza for only a few minutes. The crust isn’t as hold-able as dough, so you don’t want to add too many heavy toppings.

Michele Walter Fry is a freelance feature writer for the Record Express. She welcomes your comments at michelewalterfry@gmail.com.